California’s state fossil is the sabre tooth cat or the Smilodon californicus
Description
The sabre tooth cat had long dagger-like upper canine teeth that they used for stabbing and slicing up their prey. Therefore their lower canine teeth were much smaller and shorter. On the front end of the lower jaw there was a flange that protected the upper canines. Since they had those large teeth the saber tooth cat's scull was different from the scull of cats today. Their nostril openings were receded from the position they are held for the cats today. The jaw was constructed in a way that it would swing to almost a perfect right angle when it opened to attack. yet the lower jaw wasn't able to hold much biting strength as cats do today. The structure of the body and limbs were very similar in size of a living African lion but they were slightly different. The hind limbs were weak while the front limbs, rib basket, and breastbone were very strong. The limbs gave hint that the sabre tooth cat wasn't much of a fleet-footed carnivore but rather waited for its prey that relatively moved slowly. The placement of the nostril openings allowed the cat to breath when it had its head bent in attack. it contained a strong grooved gumthat might have helped it to suck up blood from its prey.
This shows how the environment of the Sabre Tooth Cat was like and shows
the comparison between the wolfs mouth an it's own.
Time it Existed
They lived in the late Eocene and early Oligocene time that was approximately 40 to 35 million years ago.
As seen in the pictures above the saber tooth cat lived in a grassy terrain and had plenty of food. Later when the icy era came the mammoths and other of its prey couldn't stand the climate change and began to die out. This caused there extinction therefore the saber tooth cat became extinct as well.
Preservation
The fossils that were found in California were preserved in shallow pools of natural asphalt.
This type of tar only preserved the hard part of animals meaning their bones.
Who found the Fossil/Why is it the State Fossil
The first one to describe the Saber-toothed cat from fossils that he discovered in a cave in Lagoa Santa, Brazil, in 1842 was Peter Wilhelm Lund.
The one to find it in California was Assemblyman Alan Sieroty he was the one purposed that the cat be passed as the state fossil because of its greatness and ferocity.
By Aislin Campos
California's State Fossil
Description
This shows how the environment of the Sabre Tooth Cat was like and shows
the comparison between the wolfs mouth an it's own.
Time it Existed
Preservation
Who found the Fossil/Why is it the State Fossil
Sources